Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany and Italy, was a man of extraordinary culture, energy, and ability. His contemporaries called him stupor mundi ("the wonder of the world"), and many historians consider him Europe's first modern ruler.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Deck / Bag Building
Add new pieces during play to improve the cards, tokens, or dice drawn later.
Hand Management
Time and sequence a limited hand of cards to preserve future options.
Action/Event
Cards can provide player actions, trigger events, or force a choice between them.
Tech Progression
Unlock or improve abilities by progressing through connected development paths.
Solo / Solitaire Game
Provide rules and objectives designed for a single player.
Read the full game description
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany and Italy, was a man of extraordinary culture, energy, and ability. His contemporaries called him stupor mundi ("the wonder of the world"), and many historians consider him Europe's first modern ruler. The kingdom Frederick established in Sicily and southern Italy ran on an efficient bureaucracy similar to modern, centrally governed kingdoms. As Frederick II’s vassal, you will summon Allies from around the Mediterranean, build Structures in your castle, and promote Specialists to improve your kingdom. Certain actions will trigger Edicts that affect Frederick’s Palace, and determine the rewards players may receive from their Allies. You may improve your chances by upgrading your castles: Towers house additional Allies, Walls store more Resources and Keeps aid in managing Action Cards. —description from the publisher